Saturday will be jazzy in Onset

The third annual Onset Beach Jazz Festival will take place Saturday from 1 to 7 p.m. at the Lillian Gregerman Bandshell, headlined by Grammy-nominated R&B artist Elle Varner.

John Gwynn

Onset may be best known as a quaint New England village, perfect for escaping the hustle and bustle of the city, but as Mikelyn Roderick notes, Onset used to be a hot spot for some of the biggest names and best artists in jazz music.

"My parent would tell me about a place called the Colonial Casino which was this two-story building that had jazz and different genres of music," Roderick recalls. "Dizzy Gillespie came through, Illinois Jaquet, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie "» they all came through this building and others around town to perform."

In 2011, Roderick, who worked as a singer-songwriter and vocalist for commercials, films and touring acts in Los Angeles for 28 years before moving back to Onset, put forth the idea of hosting a jazz festival in the village. "We have a blues festival, a Cape Verdean Festival ... with Onset having a pretty big jazz history, it just seemed like we should also have a jazz festival."

This Saturday, the third annual Onset Beach Jazz Festival will take place from 1 to 7 p.m. at the Lillian Gregerman Bandshell in Onset. There will be a headliner set from Grammy-nominated R&B artist, Elle Varner, as well as a special performance by jazz trumpeter Tom Browne. Completing the lineup are pianist Andy McWain; Positivity, with Daniel "Buddy" Monteiro; and Voices of the Future, featuring aspiring young talent from the area. As Roderick puts it, "We've really upped the ante this year and got some top-level performers."

"When the festival was first created," Roderick continues, "I remember talking to one of the committee members and saying 'Can you imagine Tom Browne at this bandshell playing Jamaican funk?' and I just got so excited for the opportunity. He's an amazing trumpeter and Jamaican funk is just like an anthem. He's a legend."

Varner's appearance at the festival will be just as special, seeing as it's somewhat of a homecoming concert for her (she happens to be Roderick's daughter). "I grew up in Los Angeles," Varner notes, "but I would come to Onset every summer and the opportunity to be here playing for everyone is great, I love it!" While she has been on tour with R&B acts like Trey Songz, Varner notes she's always had a soft spot for jazz.

"I love jazz music," says Varner. "It's such a big part of my musical background. For my shows I'll play a mixture of my songs as well as jazz. I do a version of (the jazz standard) 'Misty' but with a very funky, Amy Winehouse take on it "» kids have loved it because they can dance to it but it's also given them access to jazz music."

One big change to this year's festival is that admission will be charged. The festival has been free in years past, but as Roderick notes, "It was always kind of in the background that one of these years, we're going to need to charge admission to keep it going. Even as a non-profit, it was hard to get sponsorship from companies, and we just can't keep sustaining the quality of this festival for free."

The $25 admission charge has not only helped in booking bigger names, but will also benefit the Music Instruments for Middle School Students (M.I.M.S.S.) Project, which Roderick is very happy about.

"After we pay all our bills and the acts," says Roderick, "all the money we receive goes to donating instruments to the M.I.M.S.S. Project." For Roderick, helping a younger generation gain access to this music and music in general has been a big reason for putting on the festival every year.

"Just like kids need sports in school, I feel music in school is necessary to access different parts of their brain. But these programs are being depleted."

In addition to musical instrument donations, the festival will host a "Voices of the Future" showcase for local singers Roderick really believes in. "We're having 12-year-olds, recent college grads and even a working mother singing songs with a band to know what that feels like, having an audience watch them on stage. It's for all people who I've met along the way who want to sing live and have just never had the chance to do it."

Varner agrees, adding, "Music develops another kind of muscle, and I feel creativity is an integral part of growing up and builds character. It's through music that I've been able to get opportunities like this and this festival is great for exposing all this great music to younger kids who do not have access to it."

While the festival is her focus, Roderick notes, "My real concern is supporting music in young people in the community. Having Elle Varner, who has a jazz background and supports young musicians, as well as Tom Browne, who is a legend, the festival is going to appeal to any age and will allow us to donate more instruments. This year's festival will be a template for the future. If it succeeds, we are open to having it every year and want it to keep growing."